Times Square Webcam – See the Crossroads of the World

The Times Square Webcam looks north from high above Times Square to the TKTS red steps in Duffy Square, the busiest corner of Midtown Manhattan. The steps rise in the middle of the frame, with the statues of Father Duffy and George M. Cohan standing in front of them. On the left, the Broadway pedestrian plaza fills with tables, red umbrellas, event stages and a steady stream of people. On the right, yellow cabs and buses head south down Seventh Avenue. Giant screens cover the buildings on both edges, so the picture changes color every few seconds, day or night. Three more cameras, on the tabs labeled 1515 Broadway, 1560 Broadway and Duffy Square, are pointed straight at the billboards, which makes the page a mix of crowd-level overview and close-up signage.

About Times Square

Times Square is the junction where Broadway cuts across Seventh Avenue, bounded by West 42nd Street, West 47th Street, Seventh Avenue and Broadway. It was called Longacre Square until April 8, 1904, when the city renamed it for The New York Times, which had just moved into its new tower at the south end. The paper left for larger offices one block west in 1913 and sold the building in 1961, but the name stayed. The first New Year’s Eve ball dropped from that tower, now One Times Square, on December 31, 1907.

The north end, between 46th and 47th Streets, is Duffy Square, named for Father Francis P. Duffy, a military chaplain whose statue stands there alongside one of the songwriter and performer George M. Cohan. The TKTS booth has sold discounted same-day theater tickets on this spot since June 1973. Since 2008 its roof has been the 27 red steps that dominate the main camera’s view, a free grandstand facing south over the square and straight at the lens.

The lights are a legal requirement. Since 1987, zoning rules have required building owners here to display illuminated signs, the only district in New York City with that rule, so almost every facade in the frame carries a screen. One Astor Plaza, the tower at 1515 Broadway that gives one of the tabs its name, replaced the Astor Hotel in 1972. Broadway through the square has been closed to cars since Memorial Day 2009, and the permanent plaza designed by the firm Snohetta was finished just before New Year’s Eve 2016. About 330,000 people pass through on an average day, and more than 460,000 on the busiest ones.

Weather and Climate in Times Square

New York has four distinct seasons. At the Central Park weather station, the 1991 to 2020 normals give January an average high of 4.2 C (39.5 F) and a low of -2.3 C (27.9 F). The city averages 76 centimeters (29.8 inches) of snow a year, and after a storm the camera can show the plaza white under the colored glow of the screens. Winter days are short, so the billboards take over the picture by late afternoon, and the red steps are often half empty in the cold.

Summers are long, hot and humid, with frequent late-day thunderstorms. July averages a high of 29.4 C (84.9 F) and a low of 21.2 C (70.1 F). The record high is 41 C (106 F), set on July 9, 1936, and the record low is -26 C (-15 F), from February 9, 1934. Precipitation totals about 1,258 millimeters (49.5 inches) a year, and the city gets roughly 2,535 hours of sunshine. Late summer and fall bring the risk of tropical storms and nor’easters, and Hurricane Sandy struck the city in October 2012.

Things to Do Near Times Square

The TKTS booth under the red steps sells same-day discounted tickets for Broadway shows, and the Theater District around it runs from West 40th to West 54th Street between Sixth and Eighth Avenues. The New Amsterdam Theatre on 42nd Street, a city landmark since 1979, and the Lyceum Theatre, designated in 1974, are two of the historic houses within a few blocks of the camera. The Times Square-42nd Street subway station, under the south end of the square, is served by the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R and W trains and the 42nd Street Shuttle.

Just east along 42nd Street, Bryant Park covers 3.9 hectares (9.6 acres) between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and 40th and 42nd Streets. The New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, which opened on May 23, 1911, stands on its Fifth Avenue side. About 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) northeast of the square, Rockefeller Center’s Top of the Rock has open-air observation decks on the 67th, 69th and 70th floors of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Times Square Webcam located?

In Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The main camera looks north over Times Square, where Broadway meets Seventh Avenue between West 42nd and West 47th Streets, toward Duffy Square and the TKTS red steps.

What can you see on the Times Square Webcam?

The main view shows the TKTS red steps, the Broadway pedestrian plaza, southbound traffic on Seventh Avenue and the screens on the surrounding buildings. The three extra tabs, 1515 Broadway, 1560 Broadway and Duffy Square, are aimed at the billboards themselves, including the Coca-Cola sign.

Can you watch the New Year’s Eve ball drop on the Times Square Webcam?

The ball drops from the roof of One Times Square at the south end of the square, which is behind the main camera, so the main view shows the crowd packed toward Duffy Square rather than the ball. The 1560 Broadway tab looks south toward One Times Square and the year numerals on its roof, which makes it the better angle at midnight.

Why is Times Square so bright?

Because the rules say it must be. Since 1987, zoning has required building owners in the district to display illuminated signs, the only part of New York City with that requirement.

How many people pass through Times Square every day?

About 330,000 on an average day, and more than 460,000 on the busiest days. Broadway through the square has been a car-free pedestrian plaza since 2009.

Why is it called Times Square?

It was Longacre Square until April 8, 1904, when the city renamed it for The New York Times, which had moved into its new tower at the south end that year.

What are the red steps in Times Square?

The roof of the TKTS booth in Duffy Square, between 46th and 47th Streets. TKTS has sold discounted same-day Broadway tickets there since 1973, and the 27 red steps above it, opened in 2008, are free to sit on.

What is the weather like in Times Square?

New York has four distinct seasons. January averages a high of 4.2 C (39.5 F) and July a high of 29.4 C (84.9 F), with about 76 centimeters (29.8 inches) of snow and 1,258 millimeters (49.5 inches) of precipitation a year.

Source: EarthCam and AE Signage